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Friday, 28 November 2014

We were placed on storm alert, and everyone panicked, however, this time it was for real, as the rain came down I got wetter and wetter! I wasn't at home when the rain started, however, I got minute by minute updates from hubby. These were informing me what was leaking, and it soon became apparent more leaked than we could have ever imagined.

When you build something through the summer months, you are never sure of how good the joins will be, and although we needed it to rain to see where it leaked, maybe not as much rain was needed. The skies seemed to have simply opened a valve and let the whole contents out. The roads were flooded, the people were moaning, and the animals were wet!

Now rain is fine, we need rain, however, with rain comes mud, and mud brings mess, and this brings stress. The ducks loved the rain, the unicorn did not, as he stood and watched my every move with a look of complete disgust! The goats were wary to get their feet wet, and the chickens ran for cover. The dogs decided that they would become hippo's and basically buried and rolled.

Finally the rain stopped, and the sun came out, we begun to clean up....and then the rain started again. At this point it was decided to simply watch and wait, there was no point in getting even wetter. So I spent the weekend wet not moist, which some would say was a good result!

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Sometimes nature can be a mysterious thing, and other times it can simply be a bitch!. Gloria the bionic goat unfortunately died last week. We don't think it had anything to do with the surgery, it was just "one of those things" I am beginning to hate that expression, why can we not have an answer, why are so many things left to "just one of those things"

Gloria was doing well, she was eating, up and seemed to be thriving with her bolt, until one night she simply did not wake up. Who knows why maybe nature just decided that all the money, care and love was simply not enough. What did nature want my first born child? my sanity? nope it just wanted my goat! So we are back to two, and they are running around causing havoc in a goat like manner.

I find myself yet again stating "oh well you cannot save them all" doesn't make it any easier or better though!

Friday, 14 November 2014

Leading on from Magic being heavy handed with the goats, he has also managed to squash a chicken this week! I hold my head in my hands some days, especially when you walk past and see a completely flat chicken in his stable. Obviously the pullets that live with him decided that sleeping right behind the great lump was a good idea.

Magic must have rolled over and voile...pancake chicken. I can't really blame the unicorn, firstly it is his stable, his domain, and no one else is stupid enough to be in there. However, the pullets were born in there, and therefore, believe it is there home too. I think it may be time to put them with the big girls and boys, and let magic have some alone time where he cannot squash small creatures!

Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Yesterday started like any other, magic and the goats running around like nutters, until disaster struck. Magic tends to forget that he is a 400KG animal, therefore, a quick movement knocking the small 3KG goat over was going to hurt. Gloria was still, making small bleating noises, we knew he had done more than knock the wind out of her. As soon as I picked her up her leg fell, and I didn't need xrays to tell me it was broken.

At this point a million things go through your head, as I work with animals all day I knew this was going to be a costly accident. We rung our vet to get initial advise, we knew he only dealt with domestic animals, but hey he is a vet. We also made other calls and the answer was always the same.....put a bullet in her head, she is only a goat, and not worth the cost!

I agreed the cost was something that was concerning, however, Gloria is more than "just" a goat, she is part of our family. I decided to take her down to our vet, which caused huge interest sat in the waiting room with a goat in a transport box! You would think that it was an elephant the way people were starring...."come on people have you never seen a goat before"

So, much discussion happened, the vet determined that she had snapped her leg at the hip, there was no quick fix, there was no splint, all I was left with was operating...or death. Now thankfully Gloria is a teeny pygmy goat, which weighs just 3KG, enabling the vet to agree to operate. I flippantly asked how many goats he had operated on in the past...his answer "None"

We left Gloria in the safe hands of the vet, he operated for 4 hours, and bolted the leg, the operation was a success, and we left with a goat, instructions to watch her all night as her tongue kept getting stuck in her throat and a huge vets bill. Mrs L messaged to ask how the goat was, and then proceeded to tell me I was insane, the goat wasn't worth that much.

Although, I agree on many levels Gloria is just a goat, why should that matter...I save animals. I choose to have them here, which means through better and worse we will save them even if it means we starve for a few months. Who needs food anyway! Also, we do now in fact have a bionic goat that is worth a fortune.

Monday, 3 November 2014

Many people do not know that alongside being the chief and captain of all things chaotic, I also work a full time job. So does my husband, and out oldest daughter, when people discover this they are shocked as they seem to think we are loaded. Now this poses the question....do I work because I am insane, have huge bags of cash under the bed, but have a sick and twisted desire to be exhausted, or does this mean we are living hand to mouth.

We look after peoples dogs, and also some of the animal charities keep their dogs here, which they pay for, but apart from the eggs there is no other income. Also, a huge proportion of the dogs that are here are up to me to pay for, as well as the feed for the unicorn, chickens, goats, ducks, small furries and cats. This means I think about money a lot! Not in a yippee I have so much of it, but more of a oh shit how am I supposed to pay for that.

Animal rescue is tough, there is no money or profit, so why do I do this, maybe because I am insane! There is never an end to the amount of money that animals cost. Rehoming them brings small donations, which means that the shortfall is left to me. This is when I tend to play ostrich and stick my head in the sand, and pretend that the ever growing vets bill is not there!

I am asked so many times "why do you do this if there is no money in it" ........well let me think, these animals did not ask to be born, they did not ask to be abandoned and starved. Can I save them all nope, but I can save some! Although I think about money a lot, I do not worry about it, when you start to worry you get stressed. We work, we earn money, animals get saved, donations come in...it is the circle of life. So, the next time you see me and I look tired, remember that is from working, juggling my life....and of course saving the world!